2.1. Immobilization of Proteins
Immobilization of chemical substances, including biologically active proteins, is of great importance to industry. Various methods of immobilization have been developed in recent years. However, most of these methods require chemical modification of a solid matrix. Typically, these modifications require the covalent attachment of a ligand to the matrix resulting, in many cases, in loss of activity of the ligand as well as the inclusion of toxic organic compounds that must be removed before the matrix can be used in medicine or food processing. A typical example of a widely used product is Protein A-Sepharose. This highly expensive product is used for the purification of IgG by affinity chromatography, as well as for many diagnostic protocols.
The use of chimeric proteins, i.e., those that contain a functional domain (catalytic or otherwise) together with a binding domain, is relatively new but has already proven to be very useful, especially in protein purification methods. For example, the glutathione S-transferase gene fusion system is designed to express a gene of interest fused to the C-terminal of glutathione S-transferase. The recombinant protein is purified by affinity chromatography using glutathione-Sepharose column.
Another example of a chimeric protein having a functional domain and a binding domain is the Protein-A gene fusion vector which has been designed to permit a high level of expression of fusion proteins in both E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus cells. B. Nilsson, et al. (1985) EMBO J. 4(4):1075-1080. The IgG binding domain of Protein A provides a rapid purification method of the fusion protein using IgG-Sepharose columns. Similar systems have been developed based on beta-galactosidase fusion proteins purified on IPTG-Sepharose or metal chelate chromatography or histidine hexamer fusion proteins using Ni-resin columns. All these methods use expensive matrices such as Sepharose, acrylic beads, or glass beads that require costly chemical modifications and in many cases, the use of highly toxic compounds. Cellulose, on the other hand, has excellent physical properties and is inexpensive, thus providing an attractive solid matrix for protein immobilization.